


First Christmas, Best Christmas

by Momma_Time



Series: Soft Nines [12]
Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Christmas, Christmas Fluff, Fluff, M/M, everywhere you look there's sweet things happening here, this is just cavities
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-19
Updated: 2018-12-19
Packaged: 2019-09-23 00:33:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,044
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17070122
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Momma_Time/pseuds/Momma_Time
Summary: It's Nines' first Christmas, and everyone wants to smooch him...or maybe they're slightly forced into it, but he has a good time anyway.





	First Christmas, Best Christmas

**Author's Note:**

> I was tempted to call this "Mistletoe, Mistlehoe."
> 
> Also, y'all thought that Connor and North would be scary if they became bros? HA! They're not nearly as OP as North and Nines being besties. Fight me on this.
> 
> The / / indicates silent communication.

If every Christmas was going to be like this one, then Nines looked forward to it next year.  
  
There were several parties that he had invites to, and every single one of them had mistletoe.  
  
He swore people were trying to bait him into it, but in the end, he didn't mind. Nines liked that people actually wanted him around. He knew he looked a little scary when he wasn't actively trying to soften his expression, but still. They cared enough to invite him if nothing else. But people actually wanting to kiss him was new.  
  
The governor had her annual Christmas gala, and Nines was Connor's plus one. Markus was there, along with his date, North.  
  
Somehow, he didn't care how if he were being honest, Connor managed to trick him into walking under the mistletoe with him. Markus and North encouraged them, smirking until Connor pretended to cave in with an exasperated sigh and tug Nines down to his level to kiss him.  
  
This was Nines first kiss.  
  
It was soft, and inexperienced for both of them, but it was still nice. Connor, despite being built for fighting and killing when necessary, had the gentlest touch, a soft and careful caress of fingers over Nines' cheek that left Nines melting a little. Both of them looked a little dazed when they pulled away, though Connor broke out into a sheepish grin and muttered that he'd been wanting to do that for a while.  
  
Nines didn't mind and pecked him on the lips once more before casting a smirk at Markus and North. Shooting a wink at North, he lurched forward and grabbed Markus' hand, dragging him under the mistletoe to kiss him. Connor and North both started laughing their asses off, while Markus floundered for something to say. Blue had risen to his cheeks and dusted the tips of his ears.  
  
"Do I get a turn or no?" North joked.  
  
"May as well."  
  
"That's the spirit!" North closed the distance between them and pulled Nines close, only to dip him back over her knee before she kissed him. Neither did much kissing, laughing too hard over the ridiculousness, and bumped their teeth more than their lips. Markus and Connor clapped and cheered for them, wanting an encore, which they didn't get.  
  
\--  
  
The Christmas party at the precinct afforded him three more chances at it.  
  
Hank was the first, and Nines only kissed his cheek and mumbled, "Thank you for everything, dad."  
  
"Yeah, yeah, don't get too sappy alright?" Hank was smiling sheepishly, however, and he seemed to hesitate before pulling Nines into a warm and tight embrace. Nines buried his face in Hank's shoulder and sighed quietly before releasing the man.  
  
"Ugh, get a room." Gavin tried to brush passed them, but Hank didn't have it. His mischievous grin was the only warning they got before Hank yanked him close and ducked away.  
  
"Oh, no. Looks like you too are obligated to be nice to one another."  
  
"Hell no, I'm not kissing Robocop here." A lovely shade of red was creeping up Gavin's neck, to his face, and then to his ears, as he avoided eye contact with the two of them. When he finally did meet Nines' eyes, it was to find Nines faking a hurt expression. "Phck. Fine."  
  
Huh, Connor's methods had merit to them after all.  
  
Gavin's kiss was bordering on harsh, his stubble scraping along Nines' chin and a calloused hand pulled him in by the back of his neck. It fit perfectly with the prickly sort of man Gavin was. There was no biting, however, no aggressiveness, but it wasn't gentle either. When they pulled away, Nines hummed and purposefully licked his lips, analyzing how much alcohol Gavin had had out of curiosity; it came with the bonus of watching Gavin's eyes follow the motion of Nines' tongue and seeing him swallow thickly at it. Interesting.  
  
"Oh, good. You two are on good terms. About damn time." Fowler clapped Nines on the back, as he too tried to pass them, only for Gavin and Nines to share a look before pulling Fowler back to them.  
  
"Sorry, cap, but thems the rules." Gavin kissed his boss.  
  
"I apologize, Fowler, but I am afraid that I must follow human customs." Nines kissed him next, and then he and Gavin fist bumped. Messing with Fowler would be common ground, it seemed.  
  
\--  
  
Markus' private party for his inner circle and their dates was certainly something. They exchanged gifts in a secret Santa game. Nines brought a sweater he'd knitted and boxed up. Simon was the receiver, and he was thrilled if the bright smile on his face was anything to go by. That, or he was plotting the knitter's demise. Nines hoped it was the former, but it was too early to tell.  
  
/I know it was you, Nines. You're the only one besides Josh that knits and crochets, and I was with Josh when he made his gift./  
  
/You were not supposed to play sleuth and figure out who the gifter was, Simon. However, I find your observational skills to be superior to those of most of my co-workers./  
  
Simon started laughing, and when everyone shot him a look, he waved them off with a 'nothing, don't worry about it.' Nines liked his laugh. He'd already established that opinion, but hearing it again, because Nines said something he intended to be funny, rather than on accident, seemed like a small victory.  
  
/Am I to assume that you like it?/  
  
/Yes. I'll likely wear this every day for the next week. It's comfortable./  
  
/The yarn I use has to pass a touch test./  
  
/Do you have a touch test for peop--forget I almost asked that./  
  
Nines flashed Simon a smirk and gave a playful once over. /Not yet./  
  
"Oh my--Nines, no." Simon buried his face in his hands and giggled. He fucking giggled. It had Nines laughing, which caught Josh's attention.  
  
"Oh, he laughs now? That's new."  
  
Nines flipped him off, much to North's enjoyment.  
  
Everyone migrated to the sitting room to commandeer the couches to play a few video games. They didn't make it far, because North pulled out a toy fishing pole...thing...with mistletoe on it and all but danced around the couches, making everyone pucker up.  
  
Nines and Simon looked elsewhere, feeling awkward now that they were in the spotlight together. Simon moved first, quickly placing a chaste kiss on Nines' lips before moving away.  
  
"Simon. What the fuck was that?" Markus teased. "Kiss the man right or not at all. Dad says that if their toes don't curl, you're not doing it right."  
  
"Then you need to step up your game, honey. Mine haven't curled yet." There was a pause before everyone started laughing, and Josh high-fived North for the burn.  
  
Nines took a slow breath and turned to face Simon; he was still looking elsewhere but had turned his body to face Nines. Nines wasn't sure if he should initiate or if Simon was supposed to because of--  
  
"Kiss the man," someone whispered right over his shoulder.  
  
Nines nearly jumped out of his synthetic skin and whirled around to swat at Connor. "Connor, stop." When he turned back around, it was to find Simon in his space again, but looking far more unsure this time, if that were possible. Nines wanted to meet him halfway, at least.  
  
Leaning forward, his eyes slipped shut, and he pressed his lips to Simon's. It was similar to Connor's. It was gentle, kind and loving and sweet. Simon had a little more experience than Connor, however, and Nines was more than okay with letting Simon lead the kiss. If Connor's was like sweet coffee, then Simon was like the hot chocolate he'd tried last week. Both were smooth and sweet, both were warm and comforting. He really didn't know which he liked better. Tie, maybe.  
  
By the time they pulled away, both of them were blue in the face and smiling awkwardly while everyone else looked uncomfortable.  
  
North broke the tension by announcing that the only person Nines hadn't kissed was Josh, who immediately fled the room, shouting "HELL NO. HOT MAN, BUT NOT MINE." Markus and North understood what he meant, and giggled about it, but Connor, Nines, and Simon were clueless.  
  
\--  
  
The last party was at Kara's and Luther's apartment. Alice announced that she baked the cookies for them and helped Ralph with the decorations. Kara was wearing a comfortable sweater with leggings and wool socks, while Luther was in a worn t-shirt and jeans. Kara had tried to get him to dress up a little, but he'd changed back into it last minute to mess with her; he planned to go change again shortly to appease the woman.  
  
Alice was full of energy and clung to Connor and Nines like a limpet. It was sweet, and it warmed both of their thirium pumps. She gushed about school and the projects she did in class, then dragged the pair to her room--Ralph following behind quietly--to show them her artwork.  
  
"This is lovely, Alice." Nines was the first to speak, and he stepped closer to one of them and pointed out the glitter glue she'd used. "I like the red here. It fits perfectly, I think. Do you mind if I send a picture of it to Markus? He is an artist and would love this."  
  
Alice's face lit up. "Yes! Please? I want him to teach me how to paint."  
  
"Are you sure you wouldn't be teaching him?" Connor joked. "You're amazing, Alice. He could learn a lot from you."  
  
The flattery worked, and Alice laughed, hiding her face in embarrassment. "Stop. You're as bad as momma."  
  
"It's...it's the truth though. Ralph thinks you're a master already." Alice glanced back at the android and smiled sweetly, taking a step closer to hug him. "Oh...um, Ralph appreciates this. Thank you, Alice."  
  
"Thanks, Ralph." The three adults shared smiles before the peace was broken by Alice. "Oh! The cookies! You gotta try them!"  
  
Alice grabbed Ralph and Nines' hands and dragged them out of her room. Connor followed behind them, snickering at Nines' startled expression. Surprising him was touch and go. Sometimes one could pull it off, and sometimes it couldn't be done. Social things, affection, that seemed to throw him off.  
  
And it didn't slip his notice that Ralph kept looking at Nines when Nines was looking elsewhere, or engaged in a conversation with someone. From what Connor knew, Nines and Ralph got along swimmingly. Connor got along with him now, but it was still a little tense after the rebellion; he wasn't the kindest to Ralph in the past. But Nines was someone new, a fresh start for Ralph. It seemed to help.  
  
Oh, fuck. Did Ralph have a crush on him too?  
  
/I think Ralph has a thing for Nines,/ he sent to Kara.  
  
/All of you have a thing for Nines./  
  
/I do no--/  
  
/Don't bother, Connor. You and Simon are a mess too. The three of you should form a club or something. The Mooning After Nines Squad. It'd be hilarious. You could make shirts./  
  
/You're a lady so I won't tell you to go fuck yourself, but go jump, Kara./ The woman snickered from across the room, prompting Luther to give her a questioning glance. Kara must have told him because then he was smirking when he looked up at Connor, Nines, and Ralph.  
  
/Never mind. Fuck you, Kara./  
  
/I love you, Connor./  
  
/Nope./  
  
The conversation ended when Alice shoved a cookie in his face, pleading with her eyes that he try it. Were there...apples in this?  
  
"What kind of cookie is this, again?" Nines was turning his cookie this way and that, one hand on his chin and inspecting it like it was art or something. It had Alice giggling.  
  
"Apple Pie Cookies."  
  
Ralph tried it first, shoving the whole thing into his mouth at once, and perked up. "This is good! I love it." He immediately grabbed a second.  
  
Nines and Connor tried their cookies, and to their surprise, it was good.  
  
"What else is in this, Alice?"  
  
"Oatmeal and lots of cinnamon and...what was the other one momma?"  
  
"Nutmeg, love."  
  
"Right!" She turned back to them. "Nutmeg."  
  
The trio pretended that they hadn't heard Kara just tell them that, and nodded in understanding.  
  
"Well, they're delicious!" Ralph beamed at her and grabbed a third.  
  
Nines snorted in amusement and slid the plate of cookies away from Ralph. At the look of betrayal on his face, Nines slipped one more cookie out and made to pass it to him, only to pull it away at the last moment to bite into it with a chuckle. Ralph pouted and eyed the half eaten cookie in Nines' hand. Nines pretended to not see it coming when Ralph lurched forward and bit the cookie out of Nines' hand.  
  
"Rude," he grumbled, fighting back a smile. Ralph's response was to grin at him around the cookie stuffed into his mouth and pushing his cheeks out.  
  
Alice started talking again, utterly oblivious to the shy smile and blush on Ralph's cheeks while she went on and on about the other things she had tried baking lately. Connor found it amusing and gestured at Kara to look.  
  
/I'm telling you. You, Ralph, and Simon have it bad for him./  
  
/And I'm telling you I don't./  
  
/The three of you could all be in a relationship at once, you know, if they and Nines don't mind a poly relationship./  
  
/I don't think Ralph would go for it./ But it would solve the problem. Sort of. Connor wasn't opposed to a relationship with Simon, but Ralph? He doubted Ralph would want anything to do with Connor. The tension would just cause the four of them problems. Maybe.  
  
He didn't know what to think, and doesn't know Ralph well enough to predict his thoughts on the matter.  
  
Although, Nines seemed to only be okay with Connor, Simon, Ralph, and Alice having any physical contact with him. Well, extended contact. With Alice, it was because who could say no to her? She was the only kid Nines was moderately comfortable around.  
  
The rest of the evening went well enough until Nines left to grab something out of the car. Ralph wanted to go with him, and when they came back, Alice ambushed them with mistletoe. She couldn't reach above their heads, obviously, but she got it high enough, Nines supposed.  
  
"Now you have to."  
  
Ralph was almost vibrating with excitement, and could hardly hold still when Nines huffed a laugh and turned to lean forward and kiss Ralph gently. If Nines had to describe sunshine or spring in an action, it would be kissing Ralph. There was the buzz of near unbridled energy that Nines doubted anyone could ever match.  
  
The dopey expression on Ralph's face when they pulled away made him bite back a laugh. Well, at least Ralph was happy.  
  
"Can Ralph have another?" the android asked Nines shyly.  
  
Nines glanced at Alice and held out a hand for the plant and then held it over themselves when he leaned in to kiss Ralph again, only for the man to giggle against his lips. This wasn't working, but they tried.  
  
"Laughing prevents me from kissing you senseless," he murmured, grinning against Ralph's lips.  
  
"Sorry." No, he wasn't.  
  
"Forgiven if you kiss me properly now," he teased. It was like opening the floodgates because Ralph almost tackled him when he kissed Nines. Now Nines was the one who couldn't stop laughing.  
  
"Stop laughing," Ralph chastised. The little shit.  
  
"We may need to try this another time," Nines suggested, grinning and voice quiet. "Maybe the privacy would make this a little easier."  
  
"Ralph would love that."  
  
"Next time I visit your garden?"  
  
"Yes!" Ralph kissed him quickly and then bounded to the plate of cookies again.  
  
Nines met Connor's eyes, and the pair grinned at one another.  
  
/You made his life, I think./  
  
/Certainly memorable./  
  
/Are you going to kiss him again like you've promised?/  
  
Nines' smile turned smug. /Why, jealous?/  
  
/No./  
  
At Nines' raised eyebrow, Connor scowled. /Maybe./  
  
/You, Ralph, and Simon are complete disasters./  
  
/What's that supposed to mean?/  
  
/That you three all want me but will not admit it. Well, Ralph has made it clear as day, but you two are not as subtle as you think./  
  
/Someone is full of himself./  
  
/Am I wrong?/  
  
/No./ Connor was not pouting.  
  
Nines closed the distance between them and held the mistletoe over them so he could kiss Connor softly. /Happy?/  
  
/A little./  
  
He sighed and dropped the plant onto the coffee table. "After Christmas, the four of us will have to sit down and talk about this."  
  
"About damn time," Kara exclaimed.  
  
"Ooh! Momma cursed! Swear jar."  
  
She glared at Nines and Connor. "See what you made me do?"  
  
"Do not blame us for your lack of control," Nines scolded, not bothering to hide his smirk.  
  
Luther clapped his hands on his thighs awkwardly. "Well, was there anyone else that you wanted to kiss while you're at it?"  
  
"I think I have kissed everyone I did...and did not...want to kiss." He thought back to Fowler and grimaced. Ew. "Either way, my Christmas is certainly eventful so far. I thought the physical affection was meant for Valentines, not Christmas?"  
  
Luther snorted. "Any holiday is a good holiday for being affectionate."  
  
Kara held up a fist, and Luther bumped his against hers. "Agreed."  
  
Connor grimaced. "I don't want to know."  
  
"Well, you see. When two people love each other very much--"  
  
"NO! No. Just...Kara please, for the love of RA9, don't." Connor clapped hands over Nines' ears.  
  
"Connor. I know about the birds and the bees. Yeesh."  
  
"I refuse to believe that you know anything about that."  
  
/Want me to prove it to you later?/  
  
"Nines! Stop. Please. Not you too."  
  
Ralph snuck up behind Nines and wrapped around his middle, hugging him from behind and sighing contentedly. He had his face hidden between Nines' shoulder blades. "This is a good Christmas. Thank you."  
  
"You are welcome. Merry Christmas, everyone."

**Author's Note:**

> Come find me at ixhadbadxdays.  
> 


End file.
